A Family Reunion
by Rointheta
Summary: The Doctor's just left Rose at Jackie's flat when his ship flashes a mauve alert and brings him to some planet where someone does their best to block him. He sets out to find this certain someone, and stumbles upon a very familiar couple.


_This is the fifteenth fic in my 2013 Advent Calendar!_

**prompt**: "Tentoo and Rose accidently skipping into the original universe and meeting glorious Nine!"  
**prompter**: tennyo-elf  
**beta**: resile

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**A FAMILY REUNION**

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The Doctor stepped out of the TARDIS, eyes moving as he inspected his surroundings. He'd just dropped off Rose for some quality time with her mum when his time ship had flashed a mauve alert and brought him to this planet; however, he didn't see anything out of the ordinary. Just an average 23rd century back alley in the smoggy city Överdrift with its square rubbish bins, and plenty of nooks and crannies in the buildings.

He took a few steps forward, boots sinking into the muddy street, but stopped as a niggling feeling appeared in the back of his mind. He chased after it, tried to make sense of it but, as soon as he came close, it skittered away. Something did its absolute best to block him. Narrowing his eyes and squaring his jaw, he stalked down the alley to get closer to the source, the feeling heightening with each step.

Although he couldn't see any people, he soon heard the echoes of a woman's gasps and a man's groans bouncing between the buildings. He rolled his eyes and blocked out the noise to focus on his search, quickening his steps and ignoring the indents he rushed past, but then the woman let out a loud, long moan. The Doctor stopped. He'd recognise that voice anywhere, no matter how the owner used it–but it _couldn't_ be.

"Oh, _fuck_," Rose said, voice breathy.

The Doctor's lips curled into a soundless snarl and he darted forward, eyes moving left and right to find the nook that hid the shagging couple. He slowed down as they came into view, entranced by the sight before him. The man covered most of Rose, but the Doctor saw a closed, painted eye, a flushed cheek, bare legs wrapped around the man's waist, and hair a softer shade of blond than what _his_ Rose had.

The man stopped pumping his hips and Rose groaned. "What is it? I'm close. C'mon, before the k–"

"We've got company."

"What?" She peered over his shoulder and gasped out a guffaw as she saw the Doctor. "Oh, my god! Doctor?"

He folded his arms over his chest, glaring at the back of the man's head. "Rose."

She slid off the man and adjusted her dress, running her fingers through her mussed up hair as she walked up to him. "Oh, Doctor... Never thought I'd see you again."

"Never thought… We got separated? Is that why…?"

She grinned, tongue poking out between her teeth. "In a way. God, I missed you!"

He held out his arms out of reflex when she threw herself at him and looped hers around his neck. Returning the hug, he held her close to him and renewed his effort of shooting daggers straight through the other man and his stupid, rumpled suit. The man's scent lingered on Rose and the Doctor flared his nostrils, fingers digging into her sides.

She burrowed her face into his chest, breathing him in. "Mm, you always smelled so good."

"Oi! Still do!" the man said, zipping up his trousers as he turned around. "I don't remember this."

"Who are you," the Doctor asked through gritted teeth.

"Rose, I wasn't always this daft, was I?" he asked, meeting the Doctor's burning look without wavering.

Whatever had blocked his telepathic ability thinned out enough to let him see the man's mental thumbprint and the Doctor froze, jaw dropping as realisation sunk into him and settled deep inside his chest. Rubbing his neck and shoulders, Rose murmured words into his ear, but he couldn't understand a lick of it.

"There you go!" The man shot off a toothy grin. "Yep. I'm you. Well, in a way. Hello!"

He wiggled his fingers and the Doctor locked onto the man's left ring finger, where a wedding band gleamed in the soft light from a lamppost. He swallowed down the questions forming on the tip of his tongue, brain too muddled up with new, and improbable, information for him to make them anything but monosyllabic. Rose pulled back, hands moving to cup his cheeks and tilt his head towards her, but he couldn't tear his eyes off the other man's hand.

"Are you all right?" she asked.

"No."

"Am I with you?" She waited for him to answer, but he couldn't get a word out. "Doctor?"

"You're at your mum's," he said, voice raspy. He cleared his throat. "We just… We were just in 1987. You wanted to see your mum."

"Oooh."

He willed himself to snap out of the shock and moved Rose to the side, but kept an arm around her waist as he stepped closer to his older self. "Why the hell are you here? You should know better. Or did all your brain power go into growing that ridiculous hair?"

His older self tutted at him. "I'm you, remember? We both know exactly why I grew this hair and these very manly sideburns. And you know what? It worked. Rose _loves_ this hair. Right Rose?"

"Yeah, but I love this hair, too," she said, giving the Doctor's head a gentle rub.

"Anyway." His older self tugged at his ear. "I didn't know. Don't remember this. Suppose I hid the memories."

"Nope. Don't believe you. 'Cause you blocked me, see, and why would you do that if you didn't remember this?"

"Well, as soon as we realised that we'd crossed– Oh, it's a long story. I have my reasons. Let's just leave it at that, shall we?"

"No, we're not leaving it at that. Rose, are you sure he's me and not just–"

His older self interrupted him with a loud sigh and an eyeroll. "You know it's me. You can feel it," he said, tapping his forehead. "And since you're not going to remember this: yes, we married Rose. Yes, you just caught us shagging against a wall–something I'm rather ticked off we never finished–and, yes, that is something we do rather often. And not just against walls. We actually shag on every planet we visit. It's a thing. Our thing. A thing we do." He sniffed and adjusted his tie. "This is a very virile body."

"So is this!"

His older self shrugged. "Well, we never used it, so…"

"Oh." A wave of disappointment rolled through his chest. "So this starts after I regenerate into pretty boy?"

"Oh, Doctor. That's not why," Rose said, leaning her head against his arm.

"It started with me, but there's one regeneration between you and I, and he got very, _very_ good at playing obtuse." His older self looked at Rose with warm eyes, mouth curved into a soft smile. "He wanted to, though. So much."

"Oh, I know. You were very handsy." She chuckled and curled her hand around the Doctor's arm that held her close. "Always were, though, I suppose."

"You stayed with me through _two_ regenerations?"

"Yeah, 'course. I'd stay through a hundred." She smirked and nodded at her husband. "I'm rather fond of that one, though, after all these years. Don't you go regenerate on me, Doctor."

"What? You're denying me the chance of some day being ginger?"

"Hold on." The Doctor furrowed his brow, inspecting Rose's features. She'd lost the roundness of her cheeks, she didn't use as much makeup, and the look in her eye had lost the naiveté he always saw in his Rose; however, besides a few crinkles fanning out from the corners of her eyes when she smiled, crinkles the younger Rose had, he couldn't see a single wrinkle. "'All these years?' How _many_ years–"

The wheezing sound of another materialising TARDIS cut him off and all three of them made surprised noises as they turned towards the spot where a blue time ship blinked into solid form.

"Ugh, I knew I shouldn't have let my shields down," his older self said, throwing his arm out in a frustrated gesture. "If this is whom I think it is… Especially if it's after...well, all those things that happened. I know myself. He'll try to snatch you away, Rose. So don't fall for his tricks. If he tells you he's got something in the TARDIS to show you–"

"How thick do you think I am, Doctor?"

He gave her a sheepish grin. "Sorry. I just don't want to lose you to that smug idiot. He had his chance and he–"

"Oh, hello!" A floppy-haired man in a bowtie stepped outside of the TARDIS, hands clasped before him. "Oooh, lovely! A family reunion!" He gasped, staring at the blue-suited Doctor. "Ooh, it's you! Never thought I'd see you again–which means…" He spun his whole body around as his eyes sought out Rose. The Doctor tightened his grip around her. "Rose Tyler," Bow-Tie said, green eyes twinkling as he smiled.

"Doctor?"

"Is this the middle one?" the Doctor asked.

"Middle? Oh, you mean… No, no. I'm the oldest." Bow-Tie tossed his head back to get the fringe out of his face, walking closer to Rose. "Look at you. You've not aged at all." He leaned forward and gave her an air kiss on each cheek. "How's the clone treating you?"

"Oi! I'm not a clone!"

"Clone?" the Doctor asked.

"Especially not now. Not that I ever was. But I'm one hundred percent Gallifreyan, thank you very much!"

Bow-Tie wrinkled his forehead. "That's very strange. Why are you–"

"Mum!" a teenage girl said, running into the alley. "Harry says I'm not allowed to– Blimey!" She stared at them, brown eyes round and flickering between the Doctors, and he felt her consciousness brush against his, warm and golden. "Three dads! Ha! Harry? C'mere and look at this. Oh, my god. Can you imagine, though? Three dads! I'm knackered just by the thought of it."

"Bloody hell!" A young teenage boy said, voice breaking in the way it does at that age. "It's the stuff of nightmares, this."

The Doctor gawked at the teenagers, fingers tightening around Rose's waist. "We have kids?!"

"Only four," the girl said. "Ollie, that's our cousin, has seven!"

"Four?!"

"Yeah. Alfie and Jack are sleeping in the TARDIS–" Rose bored her eyes into the teenagers. "I hope?"

"Yeah. We checked on them before we left," Harry said.

"Good. Doctors, this is Ava. She's sixteen. And that's Harry. He's thirteen. Alfie's eight and Jack's six."

"You named your son after Jack?" Bow-Tie asked, mouth curled up in a smile that looked more amused than warm.

"No. Short for _Jacqueline_. We lost mum a few months before I gave birth to Jack. Just seemed right."

"Your mum's gone? I'm so sorry, Rose," the Doctor said. "What happened?"

"Old age. Was a hundred and three! Lucid until her last hour, though. And could still slap like the best of them, but then… Well, her body gave out."

"A hundred and…" The Doctor narrowed his eyes. "How old are you?"

"Yeah, about that," Sideburns said, looking at the oldest of the three. "I'm fully Gallifreyan. Slipped into a coma a few hours after you dropped us off in the parallel universe. My body wasn't very happy about being a biological Metacrisis. The Gallifreyan part of me fought and won. Was more painful than a chameleon arch, that. Let me tell you."

"God, I was so scared. And angry! With you," Rose said to Bow-Tie. "Didn't know what was going on. He was burning up! And in such pain. And I didn't dare give him anything or bring him to a hospital. Not even Torchwood! And then, when he woke up…? Two hearts! At first I was so relieved that he was all right, but it was tough for a while. Knowing we wouldn't grow old together. I was scared he would run off. He was scared I'd push him away…"

"But we made it work," Sideburns said, beaming.

"Yeah. And then we realised I didn't exactly age." Rose chuckled. "So it was all good, anyway."

Bow-Tie's forehead wrinkled, pale brows drawn together, eyes watery and tired. "You don't age?"

"Nope."

"Well, she does, but very, very slowly," Sideburns said.

"You're a _biological metacrisis_?"

"Yep! I sort of lost my hand, got it back–a friend had been keeping it in his office. Anyway, I got shot by a Dalek, wanted to stay in the same body because I'd just got Rose back and planned on doing very filthy things with her as soon as we'd saved the day and reckoned it would be a bit of a setback if I changed, well, into that one, I suppose." He nodded at Bow-Tie. "So, I siphoned the excess energy into my hand, then my companion at the time touched it and _wham_! Brand new body! Split consciousness. Two Doctors."

"You never told me that." Rose took a step forward and placed her hands on her hips, turning to Bow-Tie. "Is that true? Did you _really_ do that 'cause you were planning on doing very filthy things to me?"

"Children!" Bow-Tie scurried over to them, placed one hand over Ava's ear and the other over Harry's, bringing their heads together. "Is this something we talk about in front of the children?" he stage-whispered.

"They don't really have a filter," Ava said. "Sometimes they try to talk in code, as if we wouldn't get it anyway. Is it _that_ hard to remember that your children are geniuses?"

"Oh, Rose. You know I've been wanting to do all sorts of things to you since the moment we met–"

"See?"

"–and we've even reenacted most scenarios when either of us wanted to shag the other! The table in Downing Street, which, I'll have you all know, was quite the challenge to make happen," Sideburns said with a grin, waggling his eyebrows. "And then there was Krop Tor, which wasn't exactly a walk in the park, either, but this time we didn't lose the TARDIS–"

The Doctor gasped, fumbling after Rose's hand. "I'm gonna lose the TARDIS?"

"The dungeon in Cardiff and, oooh, the dungeon in Torchwood house with the manacles... Mm, that was a good one. That's when Ava was conceived, you know. Not everyone–"

"Oh, my god." Ava threw her hands up in exasperation. "I do _not_ want to hear this story. This is disgusting. I'm gonna be sick. I'm going back to the TARDIS." She turned to Bow-Tie. "Would you like to join us? We can tell you what those two barmy idiots have been up to–"

"Oi, that's no way to talk about your mum and dad, young lady!" the Doctor said, levelling his daughter with a firm look. Daughter. _His_ daughter. He swallowed, leaning on Rose for support, just a little bit.

Rose beamed and nudged him with her elbow. "Ooh, look at you. Got the dad voice down already!"

"Sorry, _dad_." Ava rolled her eyes and shot him a glare that felt as though it bore straight through his hearts and he staggered back. "God, you're uptight. We'd never even have _been_ conceived if you'd been the one–"

"Ava, that's enough," Rose said.

"But it's true! You even said so yourself, remember? You said that you hadn't even kissed properly until he grew himself a new body out of a bloody hand!"

"That wasn't because he's uptight, sweetheart. Your father was very–"

"Sweetie?" A curly-haired woman sauntered out of the TARDIS and gasped with delight, eyes round and sparkling, as she saw the people gathered in the alley. "My-my. What a selection!"

"River, I told you to stay in the TARDIS," Bow-Tie said, tight smile on his face.

River rolled her eyes, lashes fluttering, and dismissed his comment by waving her hand. Her eyes wandered over the people in front of her, one by one, until they stopped at Rose.

"Mm. You must be Rose Tyler. I've heard so much about you." She walked up to Rose and proffered her her hand, nails painted dark red. "I'm River Song. The Doctor's wife."

"Oh, hello. My Doctor's mentioned you. It so nice to–"

"Wife?!" The Doctor frowned. "You're even more stupid than that one," he said, nodding at Sideburns. "Marrying a–"

"Oi! I'm brilliant! Just as brilliant as either of you. Probably more so because, unlike you, I–"

"She married a robot version of me in an aborted timeline," Bow-Tie said, swishing his hands about. "Hardly counts."

River moved over to him and ran her fingers from his left shoulder to his right as she circled him. "Then why do you let me call you husband when we–"

Bow-Tie cleared his throat. "River and I sometimes go on outings–"

"Doctor!" A redheaded woman in a miniskirt came out of Bow-Tie's TARDIS with a lost-looking puppy of a man in tow. "I can't find–" She stopped and put her hand on one cocked hip, gesturing at them with her other hand. "Who're all these people? I've never seen any of them. What's going on?"

"Ponds! Eeeh…"

"I'm the Doctor. And so is he," Sideburns said, pointing at the Doctor. "This is my wife Rose and these are our children Ava and Harry. Nice to meet you."

Amy narrowed her eyes and took a step closer to Rose. "I've heard of you. Don't think you can just swan back into his life and pick up where you left off! He's married to _my_ daughter now, so–"

"How many women have you married, you idiot?" the Doctor asked, scowling at Bow-Tie.

"I'm River's mum." Amy nodded and put her arm around her daughter. "And that's her father Rory."

"You travel with your mother-in-law?" Sideburns grinned from ear to ear. "My how times have changed."

"It's…" Bow-Tie pulled a face and shrugged. "Complicated."

"Yeah, he does. And if you think I wouldn't do _anything_ to protect my family–"

"Mother," River said, "I appreciate you looking out for me, but I don't think _that's_ why Rose is here."

"No. I'm glad the Doctor's found someone, 'cause he's rubbish on his own. I still love him, of course. Always will," Rose said, smiling at Bow-Tie, who ducked his head but held her gaze and smiled back. "But I got my own family, now. I'm not here to steal anyone's husband."

"But that doesn't mean we can't all have a little fun, hm?" River's painted mouth quirked into a smirk. "Three of him, one of me, one of you… A very _sexy_ you." She gave Rose a once-over and winked at her. "Mother and father could wander off for a few hours, whilst we go back to the TARDIS and have a–"

"Children!" Bow Tie threw up his arms in the air. "In the alley! With ears! Can't anyone please think of the children?!"

"Told you he was uptight, mum," Ava said.

"Oh, I doubt it. Not if he's married to River," Rose said and River arched an eyebrow at her, smiling.

"No, I meant…" Ava pointed at the Doctor. "Looks like he's about to faint, yeah?"

"What?" Rose turned to look at him. "Doctor?"

"I'm _not_ about to faint," he said, backing up until he felt the smooth clay wall against the back of his head. "Takes a lot more than a bunch of idiots not knowing how to shut their mouths to floor me. I just need a moment."

"Oh, Doctor. This is a lot to take in, isn't it?" Rose stroked his cheek. "You know what? I'll take you back to your TARDIS, yeah? You and me can catch up in peace. How's that?"

He blinked a few times, eyes darting back and forth between the people surrounding him. The very _many_ people surrounding him, all with brows knitted in concern and eyes full of pity, most of them reaching out telepathically and he thrust up his shields.

"I'm a nurse," Puppy Man said. "I can take a look at him."

"No, that won't be necessary. Thank you, though, Rory. That's sweet of you. Kids, can you come here, please, and hug your father."

Ava and Harry rushed over and cuddled up under each of the Doctor's arms, reaching out with their consciousnesses to comfort him. He closed his eyes and relaxed, closing off his senses to anything but his children's presence–their steady breathing and somewhat familiar scent, reminding him of Rose, time, and background radiation–and let down his barriers. Not much, just enough to be able to bask in it for a moment, to fill up his drained reserves.

"I'm gonna help the Doctor back to his TARDIS for a kip," Rose said and the Doctor opened his eyes to watch the mother of his children as he held them close. "Maybe you lot can stay? Can all have a chat over a bite to eat, yeah? I'd love to get to know all of you better and since those two," she said, gesturing between Sideburns and Bow-Tie, "aren't the same man anymore, and don't have the same TARDIS. We won't need to block any memories or be afraid of any paradoxes. But I think I need to get this one back to his TARDIS."

River beamed. "We'd love to! And, for the record, I was serious about–"

"Yes, River! We're all well aware." Bow-Tie shot her a firm look before smiling at Rose. "Of course we'll stay, Rose. Sounds lovely."

"Kids, go with your father back to our TARDIS. And I'll see you all later," she said, linking her arm with the Doctor's and leading him down the alley.

"Looking forward to the memories," Sideburns called after them.

"Memories?" the Doctor asked.

Rose chuckled. "What happened tonight, you'll have to block it, right?"

"Yes. I'll hide the memories, but I can give you a trigger word, see, so when you get back to them, you just say it out loud and their memories pop back in their pretty little heads."

"Exactly."

"But why's he looking forward to the memories. He's there! He experiences all of it now," the Doctor said, pulling up his key from his pocket and unlocking the TARDIS.

"Suppose you are rather daft, then." Rose smiled, tongue caught between her teeth, and walked inside. "You see, Doctor. _My_ you is assuming that you and me will make some new memories. If you catch my meaning."

"Eeer…" he said, hearts pounding in his chest.

"Oh, Doctor." She grabbed the lapels of his leather jacket, tugged him inside and closed the door by pushing him up against it. Biting her lip, she rose on tiptoes and leaned in so close he felt her breath on his skin. "I meant this."

She closed the distance between them, pressing her mouth to his and snaking her arms behind his neck. At first he did nothing. The scent of his older self assaulted his nose, replacing that of hers, and a twisted sense of possessiveness curled inside him. He fought back the urge to growl and almost recoiled but, as she began to move her lips over his, the need for her took over and he gripped her waist, pulling her flush against him. He felt a gentle push against the seam of his lips and opened up in an instant, moaning as her hot tongue stroked his cooler one. She writhed against him and he moved with her, fisting the back of her dress as her kisses grew hungrier.

She pulled back, panting, devouring at him with hooded eyes. "My you's confessed how you could always smell Mickey on me whenever I had kissed him. How much you hated it. And I suspect you still do, even though I smell of another you. So…" She grabbed the hem of her dress, pulled it over her head and tossed it at the railing. "Reckoned we could take this to the shower, yeah?"

She tilted her head down and gave him a smile that made his knees go weak, turned around and walked towards the corridor, swaying her hips in way that had him mesmerised for several seconds. He broke out of it by shaking his head and rushed after her, one hand already at the zip of his trousers as she darted through the corridor, slipping out of her bra and knickers on the way.

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**the end**


End file.
